Moving Forward
by ToaKage
Summary: Take a sassy young smuggler, a mishmash crew of vagabonds, a very trigger happy commando and one misadventure after another and throw them all together. What do you get? Besides the headache, silly. Well, that's what you're about to find out. Rated Teen for suggestive themes and creative vocabulary.
1. Prologue

Star Wars, its races, characters, location's and events are the property of Lucas Films and its affiliates. The disclaimer will only be posted here for the sake of simplicity. Reviews are welcomed and encouraged. Hope you enjoy!

A small form stood draped in a decadent cloak, storm blue eyes looking out at the vastness of space as her cold hands trembled. Staring at her reflection in the window she could not shake the cold dread that had begun to worm its way in to her heart, filling her with doubt and fear. She looked over to the old man sitting across the room as their transport hurtled through the void of space to their destination. His wise eyes looked back with a masked concern that she could only recognize from a year in his service. The Republic Ambassador Kailil of Mirial was a credit to his people, honoring their ways and seeking to do all he could for others. The child knew this but still could not find the appeal of the life that he chose and that she hastily chose for herself.

With a wave of his hand she glided as she had been taught to the chair beside him, sitting with her head bowed. "Tell me, young one, what troubles you." Though he worded himself as if asking she knew that he demanded an answer. She took a moment to gather herself before speaking.

"I've had a feeling, Ambassador. Almost like a premonition, I would think. I feel that something horrible will happen during this mission." She did not dare to look up at him, knowing that her word would be dismissed as she was by no means Force sensitive enough to sense anything in the future or even the past.

"I see..." was all he spoke as he resumed looking out the window, ignoring her for the duration of their trip to Imperial space. The young Mirialan girl chewed nervously on the inside of her cheek, trying desperately to push aside her consuming uneasiness as they traveled in to the depths of Imperial space.


	2. Waking Up

A rough metal hand shook at the womans shoulder, a high pitched mechanical voice urging her to rise. "Captain! Please wake up!" The Mirialan woman groaned as she rolled over, still clutching her pillow to her stomach as she tried to swat away the hand. She yelped and jumped up, massaging her now throbbing hand as she set a piercing glare on the droid that had pulled her from her dreams. "What is it Bes," she growled out at it.

"I am so sorry, Captain, but two of your new crewmen are fighting in the cargo bay. The others refuse to stop it a-"

"I get it!" She shoved the droid away from her bed, kicking the mattress up in to its place in the wall before stalking over to her closet. As she hastily pulled on her clothes she grumbled to herself about idiot wannabe adventurers who were too hot blooded and thick headed for their own good. Once she was dressed, with a blaster in hand and the other on her belt she walked briskly to the cargo bay, hearing cheers and the distinct sound of something being slammed in to the metals walls as she neared. She also heard the sound of something glass shatter, tensing immediately as she knew that it was a peace of her cargo that had been destroyed.

She stormed through the doors and nearly stopped in her tracks at the scene before her. All of her crew was there, watching two beings, a Chiss and a Human trying to bludgeon each other to death with their fists. Grinding her teeth she sent a warning shot in to the plated ceiling above the fighting pair, knowing full well that she looked as livid as she felt. "What do you Sith spawned womp rats think you're doing?!" The room was dead silent as all eyes watched her with obvious fear, some hands going for their own blasters. "I thought I hired a capable crew to navigate through dangerous territory to deliver cargo. Not a bunch of mindless brawlers who would destroy my cargo and risk damaging my ship!"

Most of those that had been watching had the wisdom to look ashamed of their actions. The rest, including those who had been fighting glared back at her, defiance written plainly on their faces. Seeing this she couldn't help but to snigger. "Are you boys upset that a little girl captain is telling you off?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously in a well rehearsed play. "Well get over it. This is my ship, my cargo and my run. Get your acts together or I'll be leaving you on Taris."

The Chiss stood up straight and began stalking over to her, fists trembling with his anger. "And why should we listen to you, you arrogant littl-" He stopped as she aimed both her blasters at him, one at his chest, the other aimed below the midriff. His teeth were clenched so hard that she vaguely wondered if his teeth would crack.

"You'll listen and you'll listen good, you damned idiot. Those crates are full of fragile vials. I already heard one of them break so the loss is coming out of your share. If you want to try to mutiny or double cross me, you and your buddies will find yourselves looking at the outside of this airlock." Her own tone dripped poison as she addressed him, the rest of the crew knowing her words were for them as well. Her hands suddenly dropped and she fired at the floor in front of his feet, causing him to startle and stumble back. "If you don't like my command on this ship, tough. You can let yourselves off on Taris. Otherwise, get back to your posts!"

As she shouted out the last sentence everyone ran to obey, leaving only one man standing with an amused grin on his lips. She arched a brow at him, a hand resting on her hip as she gestured to him casually with her pistol. "Something I can help you with." He just laughed at her, not cruelly but with good humor. "You've got more than a bit o' spunk to ya, don' you." He looked about and nodded to one of the boxes, overturned on the floor. "I'll take care o' that before I head out." She nodded and turned to leave, only looking back to check once more what he was up to before heading to the bridge. It was going to be a long trip.


	3. Getting There

With a grumble and much muttering the crew got back to work, many sniggering at the Chiss who had been made an unfortunate example of. He glowered at the others, causing many to turn away, though one, a Twi'lek who looked like he never stopped smiling, put an arm around his shoulder. "You shouldn' be angry, Theo. Our cute little captain did have a point. We're due to go through an asteroid field any time now. You can get back at Danis on Taris."

Theo shrugged his companion away, scoffing lightly. "Should just throw that Imperial worshiping bastard out the airlock...And stop callin' the Captain cute, Calosen. It's not right." He looked back from his position about to enter the cockpit. The Twi'lek though had stopped and was merely staring at his friend. "Are you serious? Wait..." he paused, gaining a conspiratorial grin, "You just don' want the rest of us thinking she's cute. You want her all you yourself!" His eyes were sparkling as he spoke, hands clasped in front of him in his "dreamy" pose.

With his eye twitching slightly the now very unamused Chiss massaged the bridge of his nose. He just wasn't up for his friends antics. "Why in the world would you even consider such a thing..."

"Because...Well...Umm...You know, now that I think about it...Because it's fun to mess with you. You could have at least, I don't know, blushed, or something. You know, made it so that I could be all surprised and make fun of ya for a while." Calosen was still talking as Theo walked in to the cockpit, closing and locking the door behind him. He let out a small groan as he made his way to his chair, prepared to get to work despite his pounding headache. "How could that idiot think I like the Captain of all people," he scoffed.

"I don't know, but I really hope you don't. 'Cause if you do, ya need a lot of help with the whole courting thing." He froze and looked at the Captains chair where a pair of...feet? were hanging over the back. Suddenly legs followed and hooked on to the back of the chair as the Captain pulled herself up to smirk at him, wrapping her arms around her legs to keep herself up. "Then again, you could go with the excuse that you were trying to prove that you're more of a man or whatever. I don't think I'd buy it though..."

She looked over to the Chiss who was a few shades of blue paler than he should have been. With a frown she let herself fall rather gracelessly back in to the chair so that she could stand up. "Hey, you gunna be sick or somethin'?" She suddenly gave a sympathetic hiss as she saw the bruise forming on his forehead. "Shoulda gone to the med bay before comin' up here Theo. Danis got ya pretty good."

He swatted her hand away and stalked over to the control panels at his seat, doing his best to ignore her. "Ahh, so you're one'a those tough guys who don't need any help," she commented, smirking as her comments made his eye twitch. "Can't hand;e orders either, from what I've seen, seein' as you decided it would be alright to brawl in the cargo bay where we have a few hundred thousand creds worth of fragile cargo waiting for us. But that's alright. After all, what's the harm if a few vials of medical supplies get destroyed before we get them to a war ravaged planet where people are dieing. It's not going to matter at all," she fell back in to her chair to stretch as she spoke, yawning loudly.

Theo looked back at her, studying her for a moment as his fist clenched. She noticed and arched a brow at him, looking completely unimpressed. "Something wrong, Theo?" She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees as she studied him in return. "You know, Theo. This crew is my third. I've had this ship for less than a year," she drawled, ignoring his look of surprise. "I know everything about this ship, the cargo, the route we're taking, and the military and political situation on Taris. We were hired to bring much needed medical supplies to a planet where people die every few hours.

"I'm aware of Daris' views on the Republic and the war. And before you say anything, make no mistakes, the war never halted. It never stopped and it never will until one side wins and the other is destroyed. Just because he leans toward an Imperial point of view, does not mean that you can try to kill him in my cargo bay. If you two want to handle this when we get planet side, then be my guest, but while you are aboard this ship, under my command, you WILL act with dignity and respect. Have I made myself clear."

Theo nodded dumbly at her, unable to find his words. His mind was reeling from that speech. Looking at it, it had been the most she had ever spoken to anyone in her crew. He would have never guessed from her quiet and dark demeanor that she was anything more than a crook who belonged more in the Empire than the Republic. After that tirade though, and looking in her eyes, he could see the proud citizen of the Republic that she was. Letting an awkward silence, on his part anyway, fall between them, he began to think over everything she had just said, his thoughts stalling at a question that had been plaguing him for some time.

"Captain, I've been meaning to ask you...You seem rather young, for all that you're very smart. If you don't mind my asking..." He trailed off as he looked at her, eyes shining with amusement as she bit her lip to keep from laughing. He gave her his normal blank stare in response to her amusement.

"First off, if you're going to ask my age, you might as well ask my name too. I know I never gave it to any of you." She could not longer contain her laughter as the look of realization came over him. It had always just seemed right to call her Captain after all. The need for a name had seemed completely unnecessary. "As much as I love being called Captain, there are a lot of captains out there. I need my name to get around so that I can be praised and worshiped as I should be." Theo rolled his eyes and she waved him off. "Anyway, I'm Sahire Fadreen. And to answer your round-about question, I'm eighteen."

Silence was all that met her admission, though she was very obviously not worried. Theo, on the other hand was shocked, not that she could blame him. She was the youngest aboard by three years, minimum, and yet she was the one ordering everyone about. He had thought her to be in her early twenties at the youngest, but now a lot of her more childish antics seemed to make sense. Like when she cut the power to the lights and then made very creepy rattling noises echo throughout the ship. Mind you, watching half the crew freak out had been more than a bit amusing to him. At the time he just figured she had overheard one of the men talking about the rumors that this was actually the old haunted freighter, The Fallen Neebray, under a new name.

"Alright Captain. I think flying with you is going to be one heck of a trip," he grinned at her. "Lets get these supplies to Taris and then go get some drinks." Sahire cheered as she straightened in her seat, assisting him as they began to enter the asteroid field. "First rounds on you though, Captain."

"And why's that?"

"Isn't that was the captain does to make sure the crew stays on? Get us drunk then make us get back on the ship before we can sober up?" He laughed as she put on a mock-pondering expression. "Is that what I've been doing wrong? Damn. Gunna have to fix that...Alright, first rounds on me! Hope you like Reactor Cores."

She laughed as he made an almost gagging sound. "Captain, you are going to be the death of me."

"Well, think of it this way; We'll have plenty of fun getting' you to that grave."


End file.
